Curious Cornhuskers: Will Chick-fil-A in Union remain open on Sundays?

As a part of our initiative calledCurious Cornhuskers, an anonymous reader asked The Daily Nebraskan, “Will Chick-fil-A remain open on Sundays in the Union or nah?”

Short answer: No, Chick-fil-A will not be open on Sundays in the Nebraska Union.

The new restaurant, along with Steak ’n Shake, is scheduled to open onMonday, March 11. Steak ’n Shake will remain open on Sundays, but Chick-fil-A will be closed like all other franchises nationwide, according to vice president of MSE Branded Foods Ed Jones.

Although MSE Branded Foods —not Chick-fil-A, Inc. — manages Chick-fil-A in the Union, the restaurant will still be closed on Sundays.

Ryan Lahne, the interim director of Nebraska Unions, said the Union Advisory Board considered the restaurant’s closure on Sundays before ultimately deciding that Chick-fil-A would be one of the new restaurants replacing Runza.

Lahne said the Union’s slow weekend traffic made the advisory board comfortable with the closure.

“The patronage in the building in general is much, much less on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said. “[Because of] the other food court vendors being able to provide that service, it was decided that it wasn’t a significant impact that one of the food court vendors … will not provide service on Sundays.”

Lahne also said he understandspeople’s concernsabout Chick-fil-A’s conflicts with the LGBTQ community. According toThe New York Times in 2012, Chick-fil-A has donated money to organizations fighting same-sex marriage. However, Lahne and Jones said MSE Branded Foods has a positive work environment for all individuals.

“We’ve made that known from the beginning to the school there [that] we’re an equal opportunity employer,” Jones said.

Lahne said he believes MSE Branded Foods has a positive stance on the LGBTQ community and is excited for the restaurant to open.

“I get it, and I understand the negative connotations, and I think MSE does as well,” he said. “But the people here and the people ultimately serving our students are really committed to creating a holistic, positive community.”